Shrouding Gaze
by The Long Fall of Prose
Summary: It takes silence to make a sound, and it takes blindness to see him. ShinoHina drabble.


_I'm really not an author of widely held pairings and I'm trying to write something I haven't done, so yeah, pardon me from the crappiness after reading this. This is patterned from Jason Mraz's Life is Wonderful. Standard disclaimers apply; reviews/flames're welcome, as always._

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**Shrouding Gaze**

Inuzuka Kiba yawned, patting Akamaru to sleep.

Tomorrow will be a strenuous day for Team Eight; it takes a person's disappearance for them to make a reconnaissance, and it takes a hunch to wage a fight against their enemies. But with more than enough silliness to antagonize both sides of the fire; they would have to let time pass by as they regain whatever losses they possess – it takes a night to attack by dawn, again, and it takes slumber to let time come across. After setting their strategies anew, the three chuunins would have to become solitary figures in the dead of the night, trying to enjoy the little time they have for themselves.

A cavern disguised them and destruction bugs are patrolling it several meters away, staying adrift like their Aburame master. The all-seeing-lass stares far-eyed like a stranger towards a familiar place, almost beckoning her; Hinata's seemingly feeble body almost leans against the dark rocks and she suddenly missed the warmth of the sunbeams as coldness begins to swathe the entirety of the forest. She remains to be sentient at the slightest echo of owls, while the rustles of the leaves deceived her into thinking of the nine-tailed fox's presence.

After all these times, it only took a worry for her to hope some more.

Behind her, Aburame Shino does not strike intimidation as he observes with a meticulous stillness. Through dark glasses he observes the Hidden Village of Leaf, perching himself at the darkly russet boulders some kilometers away from the border gates. From afar Konoha looked like motionless lights against the backdrop of a starless firmament; no wind touches his skin except his steady breaths, and accompanying this calm was a beauty which lay hidden amongst the verdant undergrowth from below. He's behind her, as it has always been.

"Shi...Shino-kun?"

He does not reply, and instead sends a kikai flying towards her, indicating his presence. Even in a distance he knew all-too-well that she has activated her byakugan in search of a forgotten memory that is Uzumaki Naruto; and along with this was the knowledge of her bloodline's futility – for if the lass ever found him at all she would not be doing this like a meager routine. Yes, he thought, it takes a feeling of incompleteness to be jarred with compulsions.

She deactivates her byakugan, swiveling her body in time to stare at the sightless Aburame. He seems to surface like a protruding thought against hers. She sees his stature against nature, and she can even notice the dancing shadows; the images echoing to her mind and she quickly makes an apologetic sigh.

"I... I don't mean to waste my chakra, Shino-kun..." and he responds with hollow breath and strides towards her. Accustomed to this the Hyuuga heiress smiles meekly and follows the other's gesticulating body towards the vastness of Konoha's territory. For her it takes to be far-flung to have a sense of nostalgia over something.

And yet it meant more than nostalgia as she assesses their proximity, suddenly turning into a distance that she cannot fathom. Neither said a word over the next cosmic minutes, and their earshot against the absolutely bitter temperature was growing harrowing. What was it that made it something for her to mull over?

All words for him are merely inadequacies of the quivering lips. Their inability to cope with inexpressibilities lent Aburame Shino a seemingly adamant state of mind against speech, and with stark eyes he provides Hinata ignorance to his own thoughts. After all, Kiba says it takes a thought to utter a word, something he didn't prefer over the freedom of stillness.

"He shan't be back 'til next year," he finally says, betraying himself.

"I know," she answers, revealing a complex for him. "I wonder... if Naru-Naruto-kun'll forget us."

He offers no comfort for her, for both of them knew that the rowdy blond would have to kill himself if he forgets his comrades. A silly attempt at a conversation, she finally deems; and so she turns her head and gazes at the coat-clad youngster with faltering eyes. He's unperturbed against her gaze and it blinded her frustratingly.

"You should be stronger when he gets back," he mutters, raising his left arm and kikai bugs start flying away from within him. At their eyes' farthest they can now see the vaguely crescent moon, and the light shone on his face so that Hinata is staring at his pale face, emotionally safe as ever.

"I..."

"Konoha'll be left undone if he doesn't come back, among other things."

Among other things? Hinata never was certain at the words by which Aburame Shino makes his stance and it proved to be a confusion now that she's taken a more confident look at him, as if questioning all intentions. She was never good at words herself, but she's grown to be excellent looking, scouting for something her eyes can dredge even at the slightest glimpse. Akamaru makes a noise, and his fur crackles against the earth like the leaves. It distracts her as she stares at the familiar; Shino does not move at all.

"Am I stronger?" she whispers, and it echoes throughout the forest.

Aburame Shino suddenly found it hard to reply and thus yielded to the ease of stillness. Strength, he recalls, was just as inexpressible as fragility; and how could one be strong and weak at the same time? How could one roll a tongue to mouth that it takes fragility to know you're strong?

"Stronger than y'think," he finally says. He wishes to be out of sight so that at the night's depths she would also have to look for him with her byakugan. But it takes blindness to truly mark his silhouette against the entirety of the cold forest, and Hinata can only peruse the shallow depths of his envy. Owls have started their nocturnal howls and Konoha was still an apathy to Naruto's absence with its motionless lights.

"I hope so," she mutters, finding his words like a consolation. To this Aburame Shino can only stare at her, standing firm, emotionally safe to her eyes. He's behind her again, as it has always been; the stillness of it all resounds throughout the forest.


End file.
